increasing
- 01 A2 Elementary
adj.becoming larger in number, amount, or level.
adj.describing a state of continuous growth or expansion in quantity, intensity, or degree.
Simple“There is an increasing number of people using electric cars in the city.”
In context“The company faced increasing pressure from shareholders to improve its environmental record before the annual general meeting.”
UsageUsually placed before a noun to describe a trend.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the act or process of something getting bigger.
n.the gerund form of the verb, functioning as a noun to describe the process of augmentation.
Simple“The increasing of the budget allowed the team to hire more staff.”
In context“The steady increasing of taxes over the last decade has led to significant public debate regarding fiscal policy.”
UsageOften follows 'the' and is followed by 'of'.
Usage increasing the risk · increasing numbers · increasing the frequency
From increase + -ing (participial suffix).
From Middle English encresing, equivalent to increase + -ing (gerund suffix).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.